The Longest Night
by nofearonlylove
Summary: A tragedy strikes and Sharon must deal with the aftermath of it during one long evening. A Rusty/Sharon story with some Andy/Sharon thrown in for some good measure.
1. Chapter 1

Sharon Raydor sat in the hospital waiting room, the hand of Andy Flynn grasped firmly in her own. She looked at the clock for what felt like the 50th time in the last hour, and Andy just gave her hand an affectionate squeeze in return.

He again took in her appearance, furrowing his brow in a worried expression. She had dark circles under eyes, the white around the emerald hues were bloodshot, evidence of the many tears shed since they had arrived, and maybe even before that. She wore jeans and a simple t-shirt, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. Appearances, usually something so important to Sharon, meant nothing to her at the moment. To Andy, seeing her like this was unnerving. His Captain was usually a tower of strength.

They had been sitting in silence for a long time, and he felt the need to say something reassuring to comfort her. "Everything will be all right, Sharon."

She seemed to snap out of her haze and looked at him. "It's been _hours_, Andy."

Andy smirked at her. "Surgery _takes_ hours, Sharon."

Sharon let go of his hand and started wringing them. "Why won't they tell me what's going on?"

He put his arm around her, ignoring the stares he was receiving from Provenza and Sanchez, who were there keeping vigil with them, previously engaged in a quiet conversation. "They will. They will be coming out of that door over there any time now to tell you that everything went well."

She rested her head on his shoulder, sighing in frustration. The two of them had become close, best friends. She wasn't sure she would have been able to go through all she had gone through with Rusty without him. He kissed the top of her head, holding her close to his side. They had shared their first kiss just days ago, both of them afraid to but needing to take their relationship to the next level. He loved her, and she loved him. Everything just felt so right and so natural when they were together. It was ironic and tragic to Sharon that she could have been so happy days ago, only to have her happiness shattered by what had happened hours ago…

_She had walked through the door to her condo, sighing with exhaustion as she allowed herself to press her back against the door after she closed it behind her. It had been a long, very long, day and all she wanted to do was kick off her shoes, take a nice hot shower and head to bed. She takes her jacket off and hangs it on the coat rack, then slips her shoes off before making her way through the hall and into her living room. She turned on one of the lamps, and then realized that something wasn't right._

_She looked around the room, and noticed that the drawers to the end tables were both opened and ransacked, pens and paper thrown carelessly to the floor. She turned around and could see into her kitchen, noticing right away that things were out of place in there, even though the room was still dark. _

_She swallowed and took a deep breath, grabbing onto the pistol she always kept on her holster, holding it in front of her as she made her way into the kitchen, flicking the lights on. She couldn't hear anyone, her instincts telling her that whoever had been there and made the mess was now gone, but she kept the gun in front of her just in case._

_As she made her way around the kitchen island, she felt all the air leave her lungs, her heart pounding in her chest when she saw the boy who had become her family over the last few weeks, lying motionless in a pool of blood. The intruder forgotten, she dropped her gun and went to him, kneeling beside him. "Rusty! Rusty no…oh God please no…please, please, please…" She placed two shaking fingers on the side of his neck, searching for a pulse. When she found one, the relief she felt was indescribable. She realized that he was breathing, though his breaths were shallow. She reached into her back pocket and grabbed her cell phone, calling 911, then Andy who promised to meet her at the hospital._

_She hung up the phone and placed it back in her pocket, then managed to check Rusty over to try to see where his injuries were coming from. She didn't want to move him, but it didn't take long for her to find the hole in his chest, dangerously close to his heart. He had lost a lot of blood, so much that she didn't even realize her knees were covered in it, her hands too. Her police training was what was keeping her calm, but inside she felt like she was drowning. How long had he been lying there? She shouldn't have left him alone for so long. _

_She gripped onto his hand, suddenly realizing that there were too many things left unsaid between them, all because of her stupid need to keep a mask on her emotions. "Rusty I'm here…please Rusty don't…don't you leave me. Please. I need you…you opened up my heart again…it was you…you opened up my heart…." It was then that she broke, not knowing what she would do if Rusty never woke up. She sobbed openly, reaching down to caress his hair, kissing his forehead. "I love you…you have to wake up so I can tell you that, okay? Don't you give up on me….please…"_

Sharon suddenly got up and headed out of the waiting area, needing to be alone for a minute. She started to pace, ringing her hands in front of her. She tried to get the vision of Rusty lying on her kitchen floor out of her head, of her crew showing up at the hospital after they had collected all of the forensic evidence at her house. Provenza had even arranged it so a clean up crew would come in to clean it all in the morning, which was fine because Sharon knew this was where she would be staying, at least until Rusty woke up and she could finally talk to him, let him know that he wasn't alone.

Andy had waited a moment and then decided to follow her, watching her as she paced, shaking his head slightly as she did so. He knew that no amount of comfort would help her right now, although all he wanted to do was take away all of her pain. He got up and walked to her, putting his arm around her shoulders to stop her pacing. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, but she managed a grateful smile, leaning against his chest. "You think he knew, Andy? Do you think he knew before he…" She had to swallow and take a deep breath before finishing her thought. "Before he was hurt…how much I loved him?"

Andy kisses the top of her head, wrapping his arms fully around her. "He knew, Sharon. I promise you…he knew."


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all, I want to thank you all for your reviews! I am a sucker for the hurt/comfort family stuff, and Rusty/Sharon have given me a lot of potential and ideas for them, this being one of them. I am happy you are all enjoying this so far. I must warn you that this was never intended to be a long story, so there will only be one or two more chapters of this, so don't get TOO attached. Thanks again, and please R&R!**

Another two hours had passed after that, and Sharon found herself drifting off to sleep, her head resting on the familiar feeling of Andy's shoulder. She didn't want to sleep, but her body and mind were telling her otherwise.

Andy was happy to see that she was finally resting. She had been through enough and he had a feeling that things were only beginning. He vowed to stand by her, be there for her, in whatever way she may need him.

When a doctor came towards them still dressed in scrubs, Andy nudged her gently. She opened her eyes and could feel her heart in her throat when she realized the doctor was walking towards her. She stood up quickly, bracing herself, Andy beside her and squeezing her hand.

Doctor Mendle stopped in front of them. "Miss Raydor?"

She nods. "Rusty…is he…?"

The doctor gave them a little smile, instantly easing the sinking feeling in her stomach. "Rusty has a long recovery ahead of him, but he is going to be just fine. We managed to repair the damage done by the bullet. His left lung collapsed but we repaired it. He received two blood transfusions and we'll be transporting him out of the OR shortly."

Sharon's eyes filled with tears, she could feel her knees go weak with relief. "Thank you, doctor. When can I see him?"

His smile became wider. "I'll have a nurse let you know when he's stable. Shouldn't be longer than another hour or so, but the visit will have to be short until he wakes up."

Sharon nods. "Of course. Thank you so much…"

He nods at her. "Rusty is lucky to have someone to care about him so much, ma'am."

She just nods, overcome with relief and emotion. "Sometimes I feel like I'm the lucky one."

"I will be checking on him in the morning. Have a nice evening, all of you." He gestures to the rest of the people in the room, who had all gathered around Sharon and Andy, all of them with relieved looks on their faces.

When he is out of sight, everyone began sighing and laughing quietly in relief. Sykes was hugging Sanchez, Tao and Provenza shook each other's hands, and Sharon threw her arms around Andy's neck, sobbing with relief.

"He's going to be okay…" She buried her face in his neck.

Andy nods, letting his fingers play with her hair. "I told you he would be, Shar. Everything is going to be all right."

She nods, taking a deep breath in relief. She pulls back from him and smiles her big, beautiful smile, the one Andy fell in love with the first night he realized that there was so much more to her than just being his Captain from IA who was obsessed with the rules. "I'm starving…the doctor said it wouldn't be another hour…do you want to head to the cafeteria with me?"

He nods, taking her hand in his and kissing the knuckles. "Let's go."

After ordering some soup and coffee, they take their seats in the cafeteria. The look of bliss that had been on her face a few minutes before suddenly darkened, and she became silent as they ate, a look of concentration and almost anger on her face.

He reached across the table to put his hand over hers. "What's wrong?"

She put her spoon down, biting her lip and shaking her head a bit. "Who would do this? Who would hurt him like this? Why him? He's been through so much already in his life, and I left him alone in my house for _hours, _because I am so obsessed with cracking a case?"

Andy shook his head. "Sharon, this wasn't your fault…"

She nods. "Part of it was, Andy. Lt. Provenza said that the gun I kept hidden in accent table drawer in the hallway was missing, and Lt. Tao said that the shell casings found in the kitchen were consistent with the bullets used in that gun. Rusty was shot with MY gun, and I wasn't there to protect him. I vowed to protect him since the moment he came home to me after his mother didn't show up at the bus station. And I failed him. Just like everyone else in his life. I'm no better than any of them."

Andy shook his head furiously, his voice raising slightly. "Sharon, stop it! Stop! You don't know if you could have been able to help Rusty even if you were there. And just because it was your gun that was used to hurt him, doesn't mean a thing. You didn't pull that trigger, Sharon. You love that kid. It was just a horrible thing that happened. Stop blaming yourself!"

She sighs, her appetite suddenly gone. "It's been a half hour. We should get back to the waiting room. I think when I see him I will feel better…"

He nods, getting up and helping her out of her chair. "After you see him, you are coming back to my place to rest for a few hours."

She was too tired to protest. "All right, but I need to be here when he wakes up."

Andy nods, rolling his eyes a bit at her bossiness. "Of course. I'll make sure we get a phone call if he wakes up before we get back here tomorrow."

She grasps his hand as they make their way back to the waiting room. When they get there, she walks over to the rest of her team, the four of them huddled together in an intense conversation. She clears her throat to get their attention.

Sykes turns around. "Captain? Is there anything we can do?"

Sharon shakes her head and smiles slightly. "No, Amy. Thank you. I just…" she looks at the five people staring at her with tired eyes. "I just want to thank you all for being here for Rusty and I tonight. But I want you all to go home now and get some rest."

Provenza clears his throat. "Are you sure, Captain?"

She nods. "Yes, Lieutenant. But tomorrow I want you all on this case. I need to know who did this to Rusty, but I don't think I can leave him here alone tomorrow. I'm counting on you to lead the investigation."

He smiles, putting his hand on his shoulder, a rare gesture of affection coming from the normally grumpy Lieutenant. "Yes, Captain. We'll find who did this to Rusty. I promise you that."

She swallows back the lump in her throat. "Thank you, Lieutenant." She looks around the room. "Thank you all. Have a nice evening and get a good night's sleep."

Within a few minutes, goodbyes were exchanged and she was once again sitting on the uncomfortable chairs, Andy still beside her, holding her hand and caressing the back of it with his thumb. It was comfortable silence this time, rather than an uneasy one.

When the nurse came out to tell them that Sharon could see Rusty now, Andy smiled at her and gave her a quick kiss. "Go ahead. Take all the time you need. I'll just wait here."

She nods and smiles at him. "Thank you, Andy. For everything."

He squeezes her hand as she walks away from him, heading back to the waiting room to watch old sitcom reruns on the old television that was in there.

* * *

Sharon made her way into Rusty's hospital room, taking in his pale face and the oxygen mask placed over his nose and mouth. She took a deep breath and sat down in the chair beside him, taking his hand in both of hers. She just stared at him for a few minutes, listening to the monitors, watching his chest rise and fall with each precious breath that he took. He looked so fragile lying there, and even though the doctor told her that he was going to be okay, she couldn't help but feel uneasy at seeing him like this.

She took a few deep breaths, trying hard not to cry again. She had cried more in one evening than she had ever cried in her whole life, the fear of losing Rusty too much for her. She bit her lip as the tears started to fall, instantly wiping them away with the back of her right hand, the other still holding onto Rusty's. "I'm so sorry, Rusty. So sorry I wasn't home with you. Andy says it wasn't my fault but, I'm your protector and I don't feel like I took care of you. And I'm so sorry for that, Rusty. You deserve so much better, I know that. And I promise to be home with you more often from now on. I promise."

She rests her head beside his shoulder, reaching up to brush some of his hair out of his eyes. "You aren't alone anymore, Rusty. I'm here. I'll never leave you, and I promise to never let anything happen to you ever again. We're gonna find who did this to you, Rusty. I promise." She lifts her head up and kisses the back of his hand, sniffling as more tears trickle down her cheeks.

"I'm gonna go to Lt. Flynn's for a few hours, to rest. But I'll be back soon, okay?" She sighed. He of course was asleep, and she wasn't sure if he could hear her, but it made her feel better to talk to him, made her feel like he really was going to be all right. She stands up and leans down to kiss his forehead. "I love you, Rusty. You changed everything for me over the last few months. You rest now and I'll see you in a little while."

She reluctantly steps away from the bed and heads out of the room and back to the waiting room where Andy was waiting for her, dosing a bit. She smiles when he notices her and gets up to go to her. "How is he?"

Sharon shrugs. "He's pale, but he looks peaceful in his sleep."

Andy smiles, putting his arm around her as he leads her out of the room. "That's good. In a few hours he'll be awake and you'll be able to talk to him again."

She nods. "Thank God for that. I don't know what I would have done if this turned out differently."

He links his fingers within hers. "Luckily we won't have to worry about that. Let's get you to bed, shall we?"

She nods, resting her head on his shoulder. "Mmmm….sounds heavenly."

They walk out of the hospital that way, both feeling a little less weight on their shoulders as they did so. They had each other, and Rusty was going to be all right. Sharon couldn't ask for anything more at that moment, even though she knew the investigation into the shooting would take a whole new toll on them in the coming days. She knew that when they found who did this to him, there was going to be hell to pay. She'd make sure of that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the long hiatus, guys. Stressful times in my private life, and the holidays just made me slack on the story. Hopefully you won't have to wait so long for the next chapter! Anyway, please enjoy, and as always, please R&R!**

After sleeping for a few hours, Sharon showers and dresses, then eats the oatmeal and toast Andy insisted she eat before leaving. She still didn't have much of an appetite, but managed to eat half of it which satisfied him for the most part. She just wanted to get back to the hospital to be with Rusty. She didn't want him to be alone.

Andy drives her to the hospital, reluctant to drop her off but Sharon insisted he go to the station. She trusted him more than anyone, and she would feel better if he was with the rest of the team, investigating who did this to Rusty.

They both sat in the car in front of the hospital, mostly silent until Andy sighed. "Shar….are you sure you will be all right?"

Sharon rolls her eyes but reaches over and squeezes his hand. "Andy. I had a good night's sleep and I had breakfast with you. I'm fine. I promise. I want you at the station, at least for a little while. As much as I want to help, I just…can't right now. Rusty needs me and I intend to be there for him through all of this."

Andy nods. "I know, honey. But please think about yourself, too. I don't want you to exhaust yourself."

Sharon smiles at him, reaching over to cup his cheek in her hand. "Well…that's why I have you to take care of me, isn't it? I will take care of Rusty and you will take care of me. We will take care of each other."

Andy smiles, kissing her palm. "It's a deal, Raydor."

She reaches over to kiss him lightly on the lips. "I'll call you in a few hours, okay?"

He nods, watching as she starts to get out of her car. "Say hi to Rusty for all of us."

Sharon smiles and gives a little wave. "I will. Bye."

* * *

Sharon walks into the hospital with butterflies in her stomach. She heads up to Rusty's room and was relieved to see that he was still sleeping. She would have felt horrible if she wasn't with him when he opened his eyes.

She sat with him for a few minutes before the doctor came in to let her know how he was doing, and she was happy to hear that no infection had set in, that his oxygen levels were much better than they were yesterday.

She sighed in relief when she stood up to shake the doctor's hand. "Thank you so much for…saving his life…" She took a deep breath, swallowing hard. "For making him better."

The doctor shook his head. "Miss Raydor, it's what I do. When Rusty wakes up, please tell one of the nurses to page me, okay?"

Sharon nods, wiping away a stray tear that managed to escape. "I will. Thank you again."

After the doctor left, Sharon didn't have to wait much longer before she saw Rusty's eyes start to flutter. She gently squeezed his hand and leaned forward a bit, speaking in soft tones. "Rusty?"

Rusty opened his eyes fully, looking around with a confused expression on his face until his eyes found Sharon's. He instantly felt safe, and took a deep breath to calm himself. "Shar…"

Sharon held up her hand. "Shhh…don't try to talk yet. I have a lot of questions to ask you later but right now I need to say a few things, okay?"

Rusty nodded his head a little, not letting go of her hand.

Sharon took a deep breath. "Rusty…I…I'm so sorry….that I wasn't home with you…"

Rusty shook his head, opening his mouth to protest but Sharon shook her head. "Please let me finish. When I saw you on the floor, I didn't know if you were still alive. And the thought of losing you before telling you how I felt about you… it was unimaginable."

Rusty's eyes fill with tears, and he swallowed, not knowing what to say. He squeezed Sharon's hand, urging her to continue.

"Rusty…before you came into my life, I had gotten myself into such a hermit crab life. With my husband and my kids gone from my home, I was alone and I thought I was okay with that, and maybe I was…but I missed being a Mom, you know? What I'm trying to say is, I didn't realize that until you came along. You opened up my heart again, Rusty…and I love you as if I was the one who gave birth to you. I just…I needed you to know that before we said anything else."

Rusty smiled a little at her, before clearing his throat. "Can I…talk now?" His voice was hoarse, but clear.

Sharon nods, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "Sure…how are you feeling?"

"Tired…Sharon…do you know who…did this?"

Sharon shakes her head. "No, sweetheart. The squad is at the station trying to figure that out right now. Did you recognize the person who did this to you?"

Rusty shook his head. "No…but his voice sounded familiar to me. There was…a knock on the door and when I opened it, some guy in a mask barged his way into the house. I ran for the drawer in the hallway where you kept your gun but when he saw it, he grabbed it from my hand and he just…shot me when I started to run away. Then he left. I tried to get to the phone but…I couldn't." He felt his eyes fill with tears, remembering how he felt when he was lying on the kitchen floor, how all he could think about was Sharon. Would she miss him if he died? Would she be angry with him? Now, of course, he felt guilty for thinking these things, as it was clear Sharon would have been devastated if he hadn't made it.

Sharon kisses his knuckles. "It's going to be all right, Rusty. No one is going to hurt you again, I promise. We are gonna find who did this to you and why, okay?"

Rusty nods. "Whoever it was…I think it was from before I met you…because the voice was so familiar to me but it wasn't someone I remember speaking to recently…does that help?"

Sharon smiles. "Yes, it does. It means it's probably not someone that both of us know. I'll call the team in a few minutes to let them know all that you've remembered so far. I'm gonna go tell one of the nurses that you are awake and to page the doctor so he can come in and take a look at you.

Rusty nods and watches her leave the room. His mind was racing, he felt terrible for not reacting to what Sharon had said to him earlier, but he didn't really know how to respond to love. He hadn't really had it in his life before she came into it. But he also knew he couldn't let Sharon walk out of the hospital oday without telling her SOMETHING about how he felt about her.

When she returned with the doctor, he answered all of his questions, and the doctor seemed pleased. All the while, Rusty watched Sharon who was on the phone with Andy, filling him in with all Rusty had told her since she woke up. She still looked stressed, and Rusty felt terrible. When the doctor left and Sharon got off the phone, she went back over to the bed when Rusty gestured to her to come closer. "What is it, Rusty? Are you in any pain?"

Rusty shakes his head. "No, I'm okay. Listen, Sharon…about what you said earlier…"

Sharon swallowed and looked down for a moment. "It's okay, Rusty…you don't have to say anything. You don't owe me anything…I just…"

Rusty sighed. "But I do owe you, Sharon. I owe you everything. If it wasn't for you, who knows where I would be right now. I love you, too, Sharon…I'm sorry I didn't tell you that before. I was just, overwhelmed, I guess."

Sharon smiles. "I'm happy to hear it." She gets up to kiss his forehead, brushing his hair out of his face. "You just rest, now, okay? I'll be back later."

Rusty nods. "Thanks for taking care of me, Sharon."

"I'll always be here for you, Rusty. I promise you that."

"I know. Me too."

She smiles and walks out of the hospital room, feeling like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Suddenly her cell phone goes off. It was Andy. She quickly picks up. "Hello?"

"Shar…are you with Rusty?"

Sharon narrows her eyes in concern. "No, I told him to rest and just left the room. Why? What's up?"

Andy sighs. "We know who shot Rusty."

Her eyes widen. "Who?"

"It was Edward Stroh. Philip Stroh's brother."


End file.
